Vehicle-wheel.



' PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908.

' T. A. BAKER.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 2, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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vide a vehicle wheel with a mud guard 111 a shifting of the wheel hub to an eccentric 0-7.

parts hereinafter more specificallydescribed and illustrated in the accompanying draw- 4:)

this invention, but changes, variations and modifications can be arnnr @FFICE.

V THOMAS A. BAKER, OF RENIOK, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-WLEEEL.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented une 23, 1908.

Application filed April 2, 1907. Serial No. 365,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residi Renick, in the county of Randolph and of Missouri, have invented new and Ubcnll Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates to vehicle wheels, more particularly adapted for use in connection with motoror other vehicles; and the object thereof is to construct a vehicle wheel in a manner as hereinafter set forth, which will embody all of the advantages of a pneumatic or cushioned wheel and .at thesame time tired in any suitable manner so as to prevent the puncturing, injuring or wearing out of the cushion, whether the cushion be a solid or pneumatic one, and by such construction of wheel the longevity thereof is obtained.

Afurther object of the invention is to promanner as hereinafter set forth, which will overcome the slipping of the wheel when traveling over muddy road-beds.

. A further object of the invention is to construct a vehicle wheel in a manner as hereinafter set forth with means "to allow of the sition with respect to the axis of the driving means for the wheel without changing the position of such driving means.

jFurther objects of the invention relate to thieconstructing of a vehicle wheel embodyind all the advanta es of a pneumatic or cul hioned wheel, and which shall be simple in its construction, stron durable, readily set-1 in and comparatively inexpensive to mam acture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view theinvention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of ings wherein is shown the pre erred embodiment of a vehicle wheel in accordance with it is to be understood that resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle characters, 1

.4. These latter at their wheel in accordance with this invention with out the mud guard Fig. 2 is a like view with the mud guard attached; Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation of a vehicle wheel in accordance with this invention with the mud guard removed; Fig. 4 is a front view of a portion of the wheel with the mud guard in section; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the tire, and, Fig. 6 is a detail showing the tire locking plug. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a filling block.

Referring to the drawings by reference denotes the axle box which is inserted into the hub, the latter being formed of two sections 2, 3, between which are clamped the spokes 4. Bolts 5 are provided which extend through the sections 2-3 of the hub for clamping them around the spokes free ends are secured to a cup-shaped rim 6 which constitutes a means for receiving a pneumatic tire 7, the latter constituting the cushioning element of the wheel. v

Positioned at each side of the rim 6 is a broad, flat ring 8, the outer edge thereof inturned as at 9 so as to form a flangeconstituting a seat for the circular band or rim 10. This latterhas its outer face formed with a pair of circumferentially-extending flanges 11 which are suitably spaced apart and have the inner faces thereof inclined inwardly, as at 12. The inner face of the band or rim 10, approxisuch offset being substantially convex in cross section and which is adapted to bear against the tube 7, or mother words, the tube 7 is confined between the cup-shaped rim 6 and the offset portion 12 within the rings 8.

The rings 8 are clamped together by the hold-fast devices 13. These latter also act mately centrally thereof, is offset, as at 12 as a means for clamping the band or rim 10 to the rings 8.

The flanges 11 form a circumferentiallyextending channel upon the outer face of the band or rim 10 for receiving the wheel tire. The said tire consists of a series of blocks 14 having the inner face flattened, as at 15 and the outer face rounded as at 16. These blocks are of any suitable material, preferably l7, openings being for such purpose, The tire furthermore comprisesa locking plug 18 which is of the same contour as the blocks 14,. but is provided with a slot 19. have been arranged circumferentially around After the blocks 14;-

wood and are strung u on a wire strand provide in the blocks 14,

55 the openings,

the band or rim within the channel formed 10 the rings 8 towards the hub is a series of spokes, one series being indicated by the reference character 20 and the other by the reference character 21. The iimer ends of the spokes of the series 20 are connected to a flat rin 2 which surrounds the hub of the wheel at a point removed therefrom, and the inner ends of the spokes of the series 21 are connected to a sprocket wheel 23, which constitutes the driving element for the vehicle -wheel and which surrounds the hub at a point removed therefrom. The spokes 20 and 21 are connected to the ring 22 and wheel 23 through the medium of a series of bolts 24 carrying the clamping nuts 25. These latter 25 not only connect the spokes 20, 21 to thering 22 and wheel 23, but alsd act as a means to retain the spokes 20, 21 a suitable distance apart.

In Figs. 2 and 4 the wheel is shown as provided with mud guards each of which consists of a pair of sem-circular members 26 and which when secured to the wheel is of a diameter equal to the diameter of the wheel when tired. Each of the members 26 is provided with an inwardly-extendin portion27 adapted to'take over the flange outer portion 9 of a ring 8.. By such an arrangement the guards are revented from slipping off the wheel. Eac of the guards is provided 40 with a series of openings which extend throughout the same and these openings are of inverted cone-shape and indicated by the reference character 28-that'is to say, the openings are of such shape that the outer ends thereof will be of less diameter than the inner ends thereof. When the uards are in position they project laterally. rom the whee so that the. mud taken up by the openings will drop from the openings during the revolution of the wheel. This is evident owing to the shape of the openings.

By the arrangement of the guards in a manner as stated. duringthe travel of the wheel, and owing to the passage of the mud through from slipping.

Each pair of members 26 is hinged together at one end, as at 29 and the other ends of the .pair of members are connected together by a pair of screw-threaded rods 30 carrymg a turnbuckle 31. The screwthreaded rods 30and turn-"buckle 31 act as a means for detachably securing the guard to the wheel. 1

the wheel will be prevented.

it is evident that when the wheel meets with an obstruction, or when-pressureis a plied thereto a cushioning action will he had, and in this connection it will be stated that although the hub may be shifted to a position eccentric with respect to the aklis of the driving sprocket, yet there will be no shifting of the sprocket.

From the construction of'the wheel the weight of the car or vehicle is so disposed that it is suspended on the upper half and supported upon the lower half of the cushiomng element-instead of resting upon a few inches of the cushioning element as would be the case if the same were employed as'the tire. Such an advantage increases the life of the cushioning element, which would not be the case if the weight of the car or vehicle was not suspended in a manner as stated, and, furthermore, by such arrangement it also tends to materially assist in obtaining the cushioning function of the wheel as will be evident.

By setting up the tire of a series of closelyabutting separate elements or blocks, it is evident that if a block should be in'ured it could be removed and a new one re i under such circumstances it would not be necessary to discard the tire as a whole. This makes the tiring of the wheel unusually economical.

In Fi 7 of the drawings a filling block is discloseil which is indicated by the reference character 33. A plurality of blocks 33 is employed for'the purpose of jacking u the wheel so as to form a solid one if the cus ion ing element 7 collapses. Sueh action would cause the rim 6 to come down against the bolts 13. The filling blocks 33 are interposed between the hub and take over the elements 22 and 23. For such purpose the filling blocks are formed with an offset at each end as at 34. The osition of the filling blocks when jacking up t e wheel is shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. If the cushaced so V ioning element -7 should collapse one of the filling blocks 33 is placed upon the top of the hub and against the elements 22 and 23 -the wheel is then turned and another block inserted and such operation is continued until the desired number of blocks has been positioned. Between the last block and the hub a wedge 35 is driven (see Fig. 3) and the operation is com leted, making thereby a substantiall soli wheel.

What I c aim is- 1. A vehicle Wheel provided with a cushioning element interposed between the wheel rim and the hub, a tire secured to the rim approximately centrally thereof and consisting of a series of closely-abuttin blocks strun upon a flexible member, 8.1M a mud guard detachably secured to each side of the wheel rim and each of which is ofa diameter equal to the diameter of the tired wheel.

i 2. A vehicle wheel provided with a cushioning element interposed between the wheel rim and the hub, a tire secured to the rim approximately centrally thereof and consisting of a series of closely-abutting blocks strung upon a flexible member, and a mud guard detachably secured to each side of the wheel rim, each of said guards provided with a series of conical-shaped openings.

3. A vehicle wheel provided with a cushioning element interposed between the wheel rim and the hub, a tire secured to the rim approximately centrally thereof and consisting of a series ofclosely-abutting blocks strung upon a flexible member, and a ,mud guard detachably secured to each side of the wheel rim and each of which is of a diameter equal to the diameter of the tired wheel, and each of said guards provided with a series of conical-shaped openings.

4. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, spokes secured thereto, arim carried by the spokes, a cushioning means seated in the rim, a wheel rim bearing against said cushionin means, a pair of rings for retaining the whee mm in position, spokes extending inwardly I H therefrom,

from sald rings, a ring surrounding the hub at a pomt removed therefrom, a sprocket wheel surrounding the hub at a pomt removed means for connecting the lastmentloned spokes to the lastmentmned ring secured by said flanges to the rim, said tire of less width than the width of the rim.

6. A vehicle wheel provided with a pneumatic cushioning element interposed between the wheel rim and the hub, means in dependent of the hub for retaining the cushioning means in position, transversely extending means interposed between the retaining means and hub for jacking up the elements of the wheel when the cushionin means collapses, thereb forming arigi structure, saidtransverse y extending means cut away to provide a seat for the retaining means and having the intermediate portion of its inner face seated u on the hub.

In testimony whereof have hereuntoset my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS A. BAKER.

Witnesses:

GEO. CAPPARD, Jr., R. F. KEELEY. 

